What specific nursing skills do you use frequently?

4
I am a newly graduated LPN and I just accepted a position in an og/gyn clinic that is part of one of the largest hospitals in my area. Ob/gyn has been my main interest since I was a medical assistant in ob/gyn office.

As a medical assistant, I did a lot of general nursing skills, but the providers I worked for always did most of their own stuff. I did vitals, roomed patients, took histories, the occasional EKG, FHR monitoring and assisted the providers when they needed.

WHat can I expect as a nurse in an ob/gyn clinic? More of the same? I noticed a thread indicating that it is not uncommon for nurses to do pelvic exams. Is this just in the hospital setting? Office setting as well? Only RNs?

So many questions! I know I will get them answered at orientation, but I am a 'need to know NOW' type gal. So tell me, what skills do you use frequently? Are you an RN or LPN and what type of setting do you work in? Thank you all for your answers!!!

I'm an RN in LD and skills I use most frequently (in no particular order!): IV starts and blood draws, histories and developing rapport with a woman quickly, critical thinking--big one!!!!!!--vaginal exams, FH monitoring by EFM and Doppler, vitals, epidural support, OR skills, triage assessments and prioritizing in general, IV meds and running multiple pumps. I'm sure there are more!!! Oh yeah baby assessments, breast feeding support and teaching in the early postpartum are well up there as well. Teaching is probably near the top of the list!!

I have never worked at a hospital that didn't expect me to do pelvic exams and the hospital I left last year was gearing up to teach their LPNs to do them as well.

In a clinic, I'd be shocked if you as the nurse did any pelvic exams. What is more likely: running NSTs, assisting with exams, vitals/rooming, dipping urine, drawing labs as needed, education, and triage (in person and via telephone), and fielding calls from pharmacy. That's what I can think of off the top of my head.

Pelvic exams done by OB nurses in the hospital tend to be to check cervical dilation/effacement, not of the STD/Pap smear sort.

i make jam and jelly and can veggies every summer, probably a couple of hundred of jars each year, and in forty years i've only had one jar of anything go bad. i credit the education i got in sterile technique for that. oh, and i take bread and english muffins out of the bag using no-touch technique, and i almost never lose any to mold anymore. i put all the grains and such in the freezer to kill the grain moths-- not quite as high-tech as using the autoclave, and at the other end of the thermal spectrum, but same principle.

oh... you meant in, like, patient care?

i don't do bedside patient care per se anymore, at least not for pay, but the lessons i learned in good observation and charting get used almost daily. no matter what you do, write clearly, write well, write accurately, write completely.

Thanks guys! And yes, I will be in a clinic within the hospital- kind of an odd setup, but whatever The hospital does have a l&d department, but the clinic is for non-maternity women's health and all the prenatal care and whatnot. YOur descriptions sound like what I did as an MA in a private clinic- so hopefully my past experience will help. I am super excited to start- my first day is July 9th, so I will spend my time till then getting day care and housing in line (we recently relocated from another state and are staying with relatives). Now I know where I am working, I can start looking for housing in the area!